Syracuse Parent stories

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Lyme disease is the fastest growing vector-borne infectious disease in the United States. It infects about 300,000 people a year, roughly 10 times more Americans than previously reported. The number of cases reported annually has increased nearly 25-fold since national surveillance began in 1982, making it a huge public health problem. So what should we do about it? To start, we should educate ourselves about the problem.

As you’re spending more time outside this summer, make sure you keep yourself and your pets safe from rabies. There is no treatment for this virus, which is transmitted by the bite of a rabid mammal, but luckily, rabies is preventable.

Summer reading is a great way to keep children academically sharp for the new school year. It can also be a fun and rewarding activity.
That is why I am once again sponsoring the New York State Senate Summer Reading Program to encourage summer learning. The New York State Senate, in partnership with the New York State Library, offers this convenient online program, so families may enjoy the rewards of reading together.

To help make a dream come true for a chronically ill child, all you have to do is play a game of kickball.
The Dream Factory of Syracuse is hosting its fourth annual Kicks for Kids Kickball Tournament Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Syracuse Kickball Park on Oswego Road in Liverpool. The co-ed tournament, which begins at 10 a.m., lasts all day and features food, games and live entertainment (donated by RMD Premier DJ Ryno), as well as raffles, a silent auction, a dunk tank and a bounce house for kids.

Rufus means “cool” and “awesome,” and that’s the perfect name for our dog of the week. Rufus is a 3-year-old neutered male pit bull mix. He is happy, silly and goofy. He loves to run, and he walks very nicely on a leash. He would do best as the only pet with older children. He’s very trainable — he already knows sit, and he’s eager to learn more. If you’d like to be his teacher, call the CNYSPCA at 454-4479 and meet the wonderful Rufus!

The Patience Project seeks homes for longtime shelter dogs

No one had even looked at Duke for more than a year.
The 3-year-old Rottweiler-shepherd mix had sat in the kennels at CNY Veterinary Services in Clay since he was 6 months old. His chances for adoption looked grim.
Then Duke’s photo was featured on Facebook on a page dedicated to dogs like him who have spent months or even years in shelters. The Patience Project’s picture was shared on one page after another and ultimately made its way to Gerry Ioannone in Rochester.